Lexus electrified.
08-02-2023 18:44 - CAR NEWS
Lexus has set a course to develop new technologies and vehicles that maximise the potential of electrification not just to improve energy efficiency and reduce emissions, but also to deliver a higher level of performance, dynamics and driver engagement. At its Kenshiki media forum in Brussels the company provided a progress update on Lexus Electrified, its roadmap for electrification and the journey to carbon neutrality. It also highlighted some of the innovative design and engineering that will feature in its new generation models.
Lexus was the pioneer of electrification in the luxury car market, introducing the hybrid electric RX 400h SUV in 2005. Since then, it has pushed the technology boundaries to achieve ever-better performance and efficiency, gaining unmatched experience in developing the principal electric vehicle components – including motors, batteries and power control units. At the same time, it has popularised hybrids with a growing range of models, that has amassed more than 2.3 million global sales. Today, more than 90% of the new Lexus vehicles sold in Europe are hybrids. The company is leveraging this experience to ensure its new generation of electrified models deliver the highest levels of quality, performance and safety.
The Electrified Sport represents Lexus' vision for a future halo sports car with a battery electric drivetrain. It captures the company's intention to build electrified cars with an authentic performance dimension. Its sweeping lines – establishing a new Lexus BEV identity, inspired by the speed and smoothness of aerobatics – are matched by its power. Acceleration from 0-100 km/h acceleration is expected in around two seconds.
The batteries deployed in the latest Lexus hybrid electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles provide practical, all-electric EV driving capability, but are kept compact to avoid penalties of weight, cost and intrusion into the cabin and load space. The same principle is applied to battery electric models, with the smart-sized 71.4 kWh battery in the upcoming RZ 450e SUV set to have segment-leading efficiency of 16.8 kWh per 100 km, giving it an EV range of up to 440 km (WLTP combined cycle).
The all-new RX hybrid introduces a new bi-polar nickel-metal hydride battery, a technology that reduces resistance, giving higher load and unload capacity. This increases output from each cell by 70%, so more power can be obtained without increasing the battery's dimensions. Lexus is also researching the next generation of lithium-ion batteries and the potential of solid-state battery technology. The bi-polar nickel-metal hydride battery is available on the RX 350h and on the RX 500h, Lexus' first turbocharged performance hybrid.
The all-new RX hybrid introduces a new bi-polar nickel-metal hydride battery, a technology that reduces resistance, giving higher load and unload capacity. This increases output from each cell by 70%, so more power can be obtained without increasing the battery's dimensions. Lexus is also researching the next generation of lithium-ion batteries and the potential of solid-state battery technology. The bi-polar nickel-metal hydride battery is available on the RX 350h and on the RX 500h, Lexus' first turbocharged performance hybrid.